


Science & Magic

by starker



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: But for now enjoy these children, Eventual Romance, First Years, Friendship, Hogwarts AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-09 02:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4331019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starker/pseuds/starker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Muggle-born Bruce meets and befriends Tony on the Hogwarts Express, but they find themselves separated by house at the sorting. They manage to keep their friendship alive anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This stems from a burning headcanon of where Tony and Bruce get sorted.

Bruce boarded the Hogwarts Express nervously, walking down the narrow aisle while running his thumb back and forth over the handle of his rolling suitcase. As he looked around, he seemed to be the only student with one and not a trunk.

He still didn’t think he belonged, that any of it was real. Someone as reasonable and logical as Bruce would’ve never believe in magic, let alone _him_ being magic himself. His father had quite literally beaten the idea into him.

As he passed the different compartments of the train, he was nervous to enter uninvited into any of them, but they all seemed to be full. He finally came across one that was only occupied by only one boy who happened to look his age.

“Do you mind if I sit in here with you?” Bruce asked as he opened the compartment door. The other boy looked up, a confused look on his face, and nodded.

Bruce began to lift his suitcase into the bin above the empty seat.

“Why does your trunk look like that?” the other boy asked.

“What?” Bruce said as he sat down.

“Why does it have wheels and stuff?”

“It’s a suitcase. I don’t know. Why doesn’t yours?”

The boy narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re muggle born, aren’t you?”

“I’m what?”

“You’re parents aren’t magic, right?”

“No…”

“Muggle. Not-magic.”

“Right.” Bruce looked out the window as the train began moving. Although he was more than happy to be leaving home, Bruce felt like he didn’t belong here, either.

“What’s your name, anyway?” The other boy had startled Bruce out of his thoughts.

“Bruce. Banner. You?”

“Tony Stark,” he said as he held out his hand. Bruce took it and then relaxed into his seat. “So, how much do you even know about Hogwarts? Or the Wizarding World, for that matter?”

“Nothing, really,” Bruce looked down and felt his face flush. Back home, he had always seemed to know everything about everything. He wasn’t used to being completely ignorant about anything. The lack of resources he had was astounding, and now he was going to school without even the basic school supplies. He had been promised all of his books and basic supplies would be waiting for him at Hogwarts, but he missed his first chance of experiencing the wizarding world because his father wouldn’t allow it. Bruce saved enough money for a bus ticket to London, received a train ticket in the mail, packed his things and got to the Hogwarts Express all by himself. Now that he looked back on it, it was quite an accomplishment.

“Wow. That’s crazy,” Tony shook his head as if he couldn’t believe such a thing, tousling his black hair into his face. “My parents come from an annoyingly old wizarding lineage. It sucks, kind of. What was it like growing up in a muggle house?”

Bruce laughed. If only Tony could imagine the house he’d come from. “Terrible. I’m glad to get out.”

“You didn’t like anything?”

Bruce thought about it. “School, I guess. I was good at it. I have no idea if I’ll be good here, though.”

“Wait, you’ve already been to school? How old do muggles start?”

“Around age five, maybe? Why, don’t wizards have primary schools?”

Tony school his head. “We stay home, learn stuff from our parents, I guess. What did you do in Muggle School?”

It was Bruce’s turn to be in disbelief, and he laughed at it. “Reading and math, mostly. Some art and music, science, sports.”

“Wait, science and math? Those are things? I’ve only ever heard of them.”

Bruce looked back out the window. “Those are my favorite subjects. I guess they don’t have them at Hogwarts, right?”

“I doubt it. I’ve never heard of wizards doing it.”

Bruce sighed. Without math and science, his hopes of doing well in his new school started to dwindle.

“If you wanted, you could show me some of that math and science stuff.” Tony said.

“Really?” Bruce’s whole body perked up, and he could swear Tony looked genuinely interested.

“Hell yeah! It’d be so cool to learn about non-magic stuff! I’m not saying I don’t like the wizarding world, but it feels so small sometimes. Especially growing up in it. They don’t really like to explore new things. Wizards are very… traditional. Especially ones that come from families like mine.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll learn about that soon enough.”

Tony suddenly looked up. “Wait, do you even know about the houses at Hogwarts?”

“The houses?”

“Oh my god! It’s like, the most important part of school!”

“Really?” Bruce suddenly felt embarrassed again for his lack of knowledge.

“Well, aside from actual learning, it’s the most important part of school. So long, long ago when they were starting Hogwarts, the founders couldn’t get along for shit and decided to divvy up all the students. They each had some stupid character trait or whatever they cared about and decided which students end up where. For as long as Hogwarts has been around, everyone gets sorted into houses. And it sticks with you. Pretty much all your friends will be in your house. You live in dorms together and eat together and have a Quidditch team and a mascot and everything.”

Bruce was suddenly excited yet nervous. He’d have to be sorted? Would he have to be judged? Would he even get along with his other house members? And what the hell was Quidditch?

“What are the houses?”

Tony started numbering them on his fingers. “There’s Slytherin, which is supposed to be for ambitious and cunning people, then there’s Ravenclaw, which is for the smarty-pants, Hufflepuff for anyone who’s ‘loyal,’ but everyone knows that house pretty much takes anyone who doesn’t fit into the other three, and Gryffindor, which some people say is for the brave, and I say is for the reckless.”

“Wow… which do you think you’ll get sorted into?”

Tony grunted. “Slytherin. My whole family’s been in Slytherin. I don’t know what they’d do if I wasn’t sorted there… they’d probably kick me out of the family.”

Bruce doubted this, but he didn’t know how serious these houses actually were.

“Are there rivalries?”

“Pretty much Slytherin against everyone, but especially Gryffindor.”

Bruce nodded. “Do you want to be in Slytherin?”

“I don’t even know. I just expect it.”

“Why do you say that? Because of your family?”

“That, and Slytherin has sort of a reputation… more like a stereotype. I think I fit it.”

“What sort of stereotype?”

“The bad kind. ‘Evil’ would be an exaggeration, but not completely off the mark.”

“Well, you definitely don’t seem evil to me.”

Tony looked surprised by that. “Thanks, but you don’t know me to well.”

Bruce looked out the window again, watching the green outside the train move at lightning speed. What house would he be in? Ravenclaw, probably. But he didn’t know the houses well enough. Slytherin didn’t sound appealing, at least not being thrown into a stereotype, but if Tony thought he was going to end up there, it must not be too bad. Tony didn’t seem too bad, at least.”

They spent the rest of the train ride going back and forth between animatedly talking about their two very different live to going back to silence. When the food cart came around, Bruce couldn’t afford any because he hadn’t exchanged his currency, but Tony got him some of his own favorite wizarding treats. Tony taught him about chocolate frog card trading, and then they tried different flavors of every flavored beans until Bruce got sick and Tony laughed at him. By the end of the train ride, Bruce didn’t care what house he would be sorted into, he just really wanted to be with Tony.

 

When the first-years reached the Great Hall, Bruce couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d never seen a building so beautiful except for in books; the tall, medieval-style archways, the long wooden tables, the hanging candles, and most magnificent, the ceiling that mimicked the sky.

It was announced that the first-years would be sorted by a talking hat, and Bruce was even more convinced that this was all a dream.

Only two students were in line before Bruce to be sorted (Hufflepuff and Gryffindor). Bruce shook as he walked up to the stool and had the wrinkled hat set on his head. It was only a few seconds until the hat shouted “SLYTHERIN!” and Bruce felt himself blush.

As he walked towards the long, green-decorated table, Bruce glanced at Tony. He was waiting, towards the back of the line and gave Bruce a thumbs-up. Inside, though, Bruce was queasy. Even though he only heard some comments from Tony, he didn’t like the reputation he was being put into. Evil? Bad? These were things Bruce never wanted to be associated with. However, he had thought these things about his father, and maybe the apple didn’t fall far from the tree at all.

He looked up to see Tony walking towards the stool. Tony caught Bruce’s eye and smiled at him before the hat was placed on his head. It seemed to take a much longer time deciding Tony’s house, however, until it finally shouted “GRYFFINDOR!” and Tony’s face turned white.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony deals with being sorted into Gryffindor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible at summaries. Also, I never imagined myself writing a Hogwarts AU, and here I am.

Tony didn’t bother to look up from his plate for the majority of the meal. He picked at his food with his fork, moving it around the plate. 

 

This was supposed to be one of the most exciting nights if his life, but instead he just felt hollow inside. He didn't want to know how his parents would react. Maybe they wouldn't have to know.

 

Across from him sat two blonde boys who kept trying to invite Tony into the conversation. One was obviously a muggle born. The other he recognized from an older wizarding family, the Odinsons. Thor. He faintly remembered his mother saying their family was not highly regarded.

 

"So, what's your name?" The muggle-born asked excitedly.

 

"Tony," he replied without lifting his head.

 

"Well, I'm Steve." The boy waited for Tony to reply, but he never did. "Why are you so upset?"

 

"I don't belong in Gryffindor."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Odinson boy said with a mouth full of food.

 

"My whole family is in Slytherin." Tony put his fork down and slid his plate away, giving up on food.

 

Steve had a look of confusion on his face, but Thor had one of understanding.

 

"What's so bad about that?" Steve asked.

 

"Some older wizarding families take houses very seriously," said Thor. "Everyone in my family's been in Gryffindor, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I was sorted into another house. Then again, it definitely wouldn't be the happiest day of their lives if I was sorted into Slytherin."

 

Tony groaned. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. 

 

He looked across the great hall to the Slytherin table, spotting Bruce. He looked as shy and anxious as ever, however he did seem to be talking to people around him. He didn't look comfortable.

 

When all the students were dismissed to their dorms and they followed their heads of house, Tony was alone in the crowd of Gryffindors. He looked over to the Slytherins, spotting Bruce in the same situation. 

 

He would give anything to just run over and join the house and pretend the sorting hat was wrong.

 

Bruce caught Tony's eye, and they exchanged sad smiles as they went their separate ways.

 

* * *

 

 

_Tony,_

_We're disappointed to hear you were not sorted into Slytherin._

_Good luck with your studies,_

_Mom_

 

* * *

 

 

Tony received the letter on this third day at school. 

 

He crumbled it up immediately after reading it and threw it on the floor of the dormitory.

 

"Is that from your parents?" Steve asked.

 

Although Tony had been adamantly silent since the first feast, Steve and Thor still tried interacting with him.

 

"Why does it matter?" Tony said as he collected his books for class.

 

"Can I see it?" Before receiving an answer from Tony, Steve picked it up and read it, Thor reading it over his shoulder.

 

"Is it supposed to sound passive aggressive?" Thor asked.

 

"That's just messed up. They couldn't have been a little happy for you? Or even sympathetic? It seems like a letter written from someone you met a day ago, not your parents."

 

Tony gritted his teeth as Steve rambled on. "That's just the kind of people they are."

 

"Well then maybe it's a good thing you weren't sorted into Slytherin."

 

Tony stopped and turned to look at Steve. "What?"

 

"I'm just saying, it's not necessarily a bad thing not being like them if they're always this emotionless and negative."

 

Tony had never considered this being a positive situation. He had actually never even pictured his parents as bad people, but the letter had sent daggers through his chest. Was it not normal for parents to be detached?

 

"Well, if your family's going to reject you for being in Gryffindor, we sure won't," Thor said. Steve nodded in agreement.

 

Tony looked at them and without replying rushed out of the dorm.

 

* * *

 

 

After classes had ended for the day, Tony didn’t want to go back to his dorm and face Steve and Thor. He decided to go to the library to pass time.

 

When he walked in, the first thing he noticed was Bruce sitting at one of the lard wooden tables, a large book open with parchment next to it.

 

“You’re already doing homework?”

 

Bruce looked up, surprised. “Hi, Tony.”

 

“Seriously, why are you doing homework?” Tony said as he sat down across from Bruce.

 

“I have nothing better to do,” he said with a shrug. “I feel lonely in the Slytherin common room. Out of place.”

 

Tony nodded. “I know how you feel.”

 

“So, what are _you_ doing in the library, then?”

 

“I guess the same thing you are. Avoiding my house.” Tony slid back into the chair. Bruce nodded this time. The two of them looked around the room, avoiding each other’s stare until Tony broke the silence.

 

"So how do you like school here? Is it anything like Muggle School?"

 

"Well, the castle and the professors and the students are all completely different. And muggle schools don't teach magic."

 

Tony rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

 

"But I've been thinking about the subjects and it's quite fascinating, really. I assumed that magic would contradict the science of the muggle world, but they actually complement each other. It's amazing." Tony could see Bruce was struggling to contain his smile, which turned out to be infectious.

 

"How does it work? Your muggle science compared to magic?"

 

"You remember the rules we learned in transfiguration, about how you can't just create water or food? Or anything, really, you can only turn one thing into another? Well, it follows the rules of conservation of matter."

 

"Of what?"

 

"Matter. Like, all physical objects. Everything in the universe is either matter or energy, which is lights and sound and heat and all that. Matter is just a bunch of particles coming together to make bigger things. But anyway, the rule is that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only changed into another form. So it makes sense that even with magic you can't just make something, you have to turn one thing into another." Tony hadn't seen this side of Bruce yet, the side of him that talks animatedly and without hesitation or anxiety. 

 

Bruce looked down to the table. 

"You know, I was really scared that magic would contradict science. It's always been something I understood, something I was good at. I was afraid I was going to lose it and not have anything to hold on to. From home."

 

"Could you show me more?"

 

Bruce looked up, surprised. "More what, science?"

 

"Yeah! You make it sound so cool. And from how you explain it, it makes so much sense. That's what I never liked about this world. There's always a what or a how without a why."

 

Bruce laughed. "Most muggles would definitely not consider science cool. It's the kind of thing only nerds really like."

 

"Well, neither one of us is a Ravenclaw, so we don't have to worry about being nerds."

 

Bruce shook his head, still smiling. "Fine, I'll show you. I brought some books from home to read up on, I bet I could get some more to show you, too."

 

"This is so cool. I finally get to learn about the muggle world..." 

 

It was Tony's turn to smile without abandon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm definitely planning on writing more than originally thought now that I have this chapter. I was going to go straight to sixth year, but now I feel like dabbling a little more into some different years. Again, let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce figures out why he belongs in Slytherin.

Tony had decided it was late enough to head back to the Gryffindor common room, but Bruce stayed behind in the library. He searched the shelves for books on his new favorite subjects, transfiguration and potions.

He found himself an oversized chair in the corner and began to skim the pages, not wanting to go back to the common room. Since he had been sorted into Slytherin, his other housemates weren’t mean or terrible at all, but he still felt like he didn’t belong. He was having trouble figuring out _why_ he belonged in Slytherin. He couldn’t help but think he would’ve been better off in Ravenclaw, which was known for housing the students who loved to learn, or even Gryffindor, just so he could have a friend like Tony around. Then again, he hadn’t made much of an effort to befriend any of the other Slytherins anyway.

When the library was about to close for the night, Bruce decided he would make his way to his dorm. He wanted nothing more than to go to his bed, close the curtains, and read until his eyes couldn’t keep up.

The Slytherin common room was quite empty, save for a handful of students scattered around. For a common room in a dungeon, Bruce thought it was very comfortable. It was decorated with black and white marble furniture and lit by beautiful chandeliers. The light at night was dim enough that it was quite cozy for studying, especially with the walls lined with books and many plush chairs around the room. Yet he hadn’t built up the courage to surround himself with the rest of the Slytherins.

“Hey, first-year! Come here.” Bruce was interrupted on his way to the stairs by a redhead sitting in the corner with a book. He recognized her from meals, but knew she was older because she never had any classes with him.

“Me?” Bruce said as he turned to her.

“Yes, you. Come here.”

Bruce clutched his books a little tighter as he walked to her, thinking of every possible way this confrontation could go wrong for him. The girl squinted her eyes at him and put down her book.

“Well, sit down. I’m not going to bite you,” she said as she hit the seat next to her. He sat down as she commanded and looked at the books in his lap, nervously running his fingers over them. “Why do you hate human interaction?”

“What?”

“Come on. I know you’re a nervous little first year, but I’ve never seen a kid completely avoid talking to anyone in their house. So what gives? I’m Natasha, by the way.”

Bruce stared at her, trying to come up with a reply. “I… I don’t really know. I’m just quiet, I guess?”

“That’s not going to cut it for me. First of all, barely anybody even knows your name.”

“I’m Bruce.”

“Okay, we’re getting somewhere.” As much as Natasha’s harshness scared Bruce, it was also slightly comforting. She was the first person to reach out to Bruce, and he didn’t even know if he would ever reach out to anybody on his own. “So, Bruce, why do you always lock yourself into solitary confinement in your dorm or run away to the library?”

Bruce looked back down into his lap.

“I don’t really know… I guess I don’t feel like I fit in.” Natasha narrowed her eyes at him.

“Well, that’s not going to change if you don’t talk to anybody.”

“I’m scared of confrontation.”

“I can see that.”

“I just… I don’t know. I don’t get why I’m here. It doesn’t make sense to me. Any of it. I don’t get why I was sorted into Slytherin, I don’t even get why I’m at a freakin magic school. None of it makes sense.”

“You strike me as the kind of guy who likes sense.” Bruce nodded. “Well, I can’t tell you why you’re at ‘magic school,’ other than the obvious reason that you’re magic, but I can help you deal with Slytherin. Because it’s definitely weird being sorted into Slytherin if you don’t come from an all-Slytherin family.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Most people who aren’t Slytherin just don’t get us. That’s why most of us don’t do friendships outside the house, but that doesn’t stop me. I mean, my best friend is a Hufflepuff, but whatever. Anyway, everyone thinks Slytherins are selfish and evil and just bad, but its bullshit. The reason we have to stick together is because everyone treats us like that. Nobody would want to be friends with someone who automatically thinks you evil, right?”

“I guess so…”

“Right. So people often forget that being Slytherin means you’re ambitious, so you’re going to do anything to get your way. And yeah, that can seem really selfish and that’s probably the root of the stereotype, but it means more than that. You’re the kind of person who knows what they want and will do anything to get it, whether it’s success or wealth or respect or whatever. It’s whatever you want it to be.”

Bruce was silent for a few seconds.

“That all sounds fine, but I still don’t know it it’s where I belong.”

“If you’re suggesting that the sorting hat was wrong, then I highly doubt it. Where _do_ you think you belong?”

“I don’t know… Ravenclaw, maybe…”

“With the nerds? I mean, yes, you definitely have some nerd potential, but why?”

“I don’t know… at home I was always the smart one. I just always liked school because I was really good at it.”

“I’m gonna let you in on a secret. Slytherins and Ravenclaws are really, really similar.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It didn’t take me long to realize it, but here’s the main difference: Ravenclaws like to learn about things for the sake of learning about them. It’s kind of annoying, honestly. But Slytherins like to learn about things to _use_ that knowledge. You said you’re good at school? Well, maybe you like it so much because you know you’re good at it and you know one day you’re going to use that knowledge. Which, in my opinion, is very classically Slytherin.”

Bruce couldn’t help smiling a little.

“Thank you, Natasha.”

“Please, call me Nat.”

“Okay.” Natasha grabbed her book and got up, making her way to her dorm. “Wait, Nat!” She turned around to look back at Bruce. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

“Just because,” she said with a smile before turning back to her dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your wonderful comments! I'm glad you like it :) Also, I hope this clears up a little why I have Bruce sorted into Slytherin. My reasons for sorting him there come from more of the comic universe characterization of Bruce, but I care a lot about this headcanon. Plus Slytherin/Gryffindor friendships are the best kind!

**Author's Note:**

> This was intended to be a one-shot, but I guess I'm going to continue! It'll probably end up making more sense why I sorted them where I did. Let me know what you think!


End file.
